Early autumn migrant birds experienced a real mix of weather. July was a month of two halves, starting cold and unsettled then transitioning to hot and muggy conditions.
August began on the hotter side but became more unsettled as the month progressed. It was dryer too, but September more than made up for the shortfall in rain, with well above average rainfall and multiple heavy thundery downpours.
Wildfowl and the like
Encouragingly, there was abundant growth of Lesser Pondweed (Potamogeton pusillus) for the third summer in a row on the Pond. This attracted large numbers of wildfowl, particularly Gadwall (pictured below).
A count of 80 Gadwall logged on July 18th was surpassed by a new record of 195 on August 8th, before numbers dropped back to 70 in early September with only low double-figures by the end of the month. Likewise, Coot numbers reached new highs with the 310 logged on July 18th surpassed by a peak of 390 on August 8th. Shoveler number grew steadily peaking at 50 on September 3rd, but were down from this time last year. Teal continued to disappoint, with a peak of 25 also noted on September 3rd. Post-breeding Tufted Duck numbers fluctuated between 35-50. Scarcer wildfowl included one or two Common Pochard throughout, three Mandarin Ducks on July 18th and a single Eurasian Wigeon from the second week of September through to the end of the month.
Late summer/early autumn roosting geese were also below par this year with 131 Greylag Geese logged early on August 30th being the most notable count.
This flock included the returning Pink-footed Goose (pictured above) for its fourth year in a row, but its appearance was fleeting, and it was last seen on September 9. Mute Swans peaked at 46 on July 6th, including this year’s locally raised young. Last winter’s Black Swan put in a brief appearance on August 31st.
Single Great White Egrets were logged on July 20th, an adult between August 10th-13th and another between September 2nd-5th. Little Egrets peaked at seven roosting in mid-August. Gulls and terns were very few, but a pair of Common Tern took up residence in July and built a nest on one of the aquatic plant wire cages but sadly it was abandoned in early August, the first such nesting attempt for the species for many years.
Scarcer migrant raptors were represented by a Marsh Harrier heading over west on July 29th and a juvenile European Honey-Buzzard (pictured below) gliding through southeast on September 21st. The latter was one of the highlights of the period and notable by the comparatively late date.
Highlight of the period
The main highlight of the quarter was the discovery of a (Eurasian) Wryneck (pictured below)
on the MoD common just east of the reserve, on August 20th. It remained through to August 22nd, adjoining the main diagonal path. It remained elusive throughout its stay but for those observers who persisted it would occasionally reappear perched in the sapling oaks bordering the path. Wryneck remains a scarce migrant throughout the UK, mainly in autumn with most sighting occurring in coastal locations, so an inland record is particularly notable, and represented only the second record for Fleet Pond, the first recorded on September 6th, 1998.
Good numbers of Common Swift remained in early July, the highest count reported being the 200 feeding over the Pond on July 1st. Scarce migrant passerines included a Tree Pipit in early August and both Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher on August 20th, all of which were observed on the MoD common. There was also a report of Pied Flycatcher on the Reserve on September 1st. Notable roost counts included 30 Cormorants on September 7th, and 55 Magpie and 220 Jackdaw on September 21th. Good birding!
William Legge
Contributing Observers: David Brassington, John Clark, Gary Fennemore, William Legge, Katie MacDonald, Spike Millington, Max Peters, Sarah Slingo, Graham Stephenson.
Images credited to:
RSPB www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/